Barnes & Noble Improves Nook With Firmware Update

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Barnes & Noble Improves Nook With Firmware Update

Barnes & Noble has rolled out the first firmware update for its Nook e-book reader that includes performance updates in areas such as page turning of e-books and formatting of downloaded books.

The $260 Nook, which started shipping earlier this month, was criticized for its slow refresh rate as users flipped pages and for a software interface that didn't entirely seem ready, as Wired.com pointed out in its Nook review.

The firmware update 1.1.0 attempts to fix some of these problems. The update improves the start-up time for features such as 'My Library' on the device. It also ensures that the device displays the correct time on its status bar, has better page numbering for books and removes some formatting-related issues.

Meanwhile, some users have 'rooted' the Nook or hacked the device's firmware to gain system level access. This allows them to run on the Nook apps such as Pandora, a browser and other programs that Barnes & Noble does not support officially.

The latest firmware update does not lock the rooted Nooks, says nookDevs, a group that has created a wiki and an online forum for Nook enthusiasts. "The update is safe, if you've had your device already rooted," says the group on its website. "It will stay this way."

But that's if you got a Nook in the first place. With some customers worried that their pre-ordered Nooks won’t arrive in time for Christmas, Barnes & Noble has sent an e-mail promising a $100 gift voucher to anyone whose Nook doesn’t make it.